It doesn't actually allow this though right because it doesn't remove the things that kept this from happening before the Internet: language, differing customs,

It doesn't actually allow this though right because it doesn't remove the things that kept this from happening before the Internet: language, differing customs, differing lived experiences, etc. It doesn't allow anyone to reach anyone. You have very little chance of reaching people who spend time in non-English online communities (assuming you only know English). Those people have very little ability to reach you. Furthermore, everyone is able to reach everyone, technically, but there is still a cost to doing so which everyone cannot bear. It takes time (and for many, lost wages) to join multiple social networks and forums and write on all of them or to start a blog or to report news. And there is a certain class of people in the world who have that time and a certain class which don't. The internet has always been a glitzed up version of our world, just with a lot more anonymity (which, many would argue has been a tragedy).